SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Governor Spencer Cox announced Thursday that state residents 16 years of age and older with certain comorbidities are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Previously, the eligibility date for Utahns with comorbidities was expected to be March 1, but Cox said these people are eligible immediately. The full list of comorbidities that make people eligible for the vaccine is available at coronavirus.utah.gov/vaccine-distribution/#eligibility.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has approved the Pfizer vaccine only for people between the ages of 16 and 17, Cox said. If people in this age group wish to receive the vaccine, they should schedule an appointment at a vaccination center that offers the Pfizer vaccine, the governor added. Not all vaccine clinics have the Pfizer vaccine, and a list of clinics that have it will be provided at coronavirus.utah.gov/vaccine.
Cox also announced Thursday that people who want the vaccine no longer have to wait to make an appointment in their home county. If you can find an appointment available in another county, you can now make an appointment there. However, you must schedule your second dose of the vaccine in the same county where you scheduled your first dose, Cox said.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox offers a COVID-19 pandemic update at a news conference. The event started at 11 am is broadcast live here. Utah State Department of Health epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn is also scheduled to speak at the news conference.
New COVID-19 cases
On Thursday, the number of COVID-19 cases in Utah increased by 832, with another 11 deaths reported, according to the Utah Department of Health.
Four of the deaths occurred last month, but were still being investigated by the state doctor’s office, the health department said. The state also reported another 18,563 vaccinations since Thursday.
The average continuous number of seven positive days a day is now 723, according to the health department. The positive daily test rate for that period compared to the ‘people over people’ method is now 12.4%. The positive seven-day average test rate calculated using the ‘test-by-test’ method is now 5.7%.
There are 221 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in Utah, state data show. A total of 660,444 vaccines were administered in the state, up from 641,881 on Wednesday.
This story will be updated.
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